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The urge to keep growing

Despite increasingly frosty temperatures some plants in the garden seem unable to resist the urge to keep growing and are lending a whole new meaning to the idea of “evergreen”. Usually by now have extolled the virtues of evergreen foliage in the garden: how essential it is for structure and color particularly through the winter months. But we haven’t had the chance (aside from needing needles for holiday wreaths) to fully appreciate it yet. I won’t give away the oddly timed bloomers before Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th, but I can show you some examples of new growth, lingering fall color, and even prematurely swollen buds.

Apart from grousing about the weirdness of the weather and worrying over the plants that are headed towards winter in a very vulnerable state, you won’t catch me complaining. Part of me is anxious for the cold to hit but it’s the same part that knows I won’t be quite ready for it when it comes.

Because we’re still growing too. Even though the shading hasn’t been etched off the greenhouse yet (frost – snow even – is what does it) the plants are thriving and we’ve started taking another round of cuttings from the cuttings we took back in September. I feel like I’m just doing that because I can’t not, but actually, growing in the greenhouse doesn’t stop for winter and this work is all part of our normal cycle. We’ll take cuttings from these cuttings when the sun climbs over the greenhouse roof again in late February and March.

Are any of your plants still growing? Are you having a hard time knowing when to quit too?

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2 thoughts on “The urge to keep growing”

So true! Nasturtiums bravely carrying on in our window box, lantana thumbing its nose at the frost. Violas returning for a second act. Love this prolonged fall, holding on for dear life. Lobelia refusing to quit at Christmas?

Ginny, It’s weird and a little wonderful. I bet your Lobelia, etc will even be safe from this weekend’s forecast flurries. -kris

Poor things, so confused! Our coral honeysuckle is blooming like crazy. Forsythia bloomed 1-2 weeks ago and still has flowers on it. Many roses still going strong all over town. Wild.

Totally! Tara, it’s great to see you here – and thanks for the report from LC! Any hummingbirds on the honeysuckle? – Someone (I can’t remember who now) recently reported a sighting. Truly strange… -kris